Merit America

I absolutely made a big fat mistake by choosing Merit America to use my Amazon benefits. Their instructors, stuff, support team has been ignoring my emails since I had made serious effort to unenroll from their program when I saw their nonsense syllabus. 
Can someone explain to me what IT support specialist has to do with ChatGPT ?? But their first week lecture were fully reserved for ChatGPT. I had worked as an IT technician in the overseas government hospital for number of years and I assure yo, you'll not learn anything useful to become an IT Support specialist. It's absolutely ridiculous, and they rob you with no gun. So look elsewhere.

I will give you the short of the long. The graduation rate is 30 to 50% NOT 80%. I am actively keeping up with my cohort and very VERY few have found jobs. Including top preforming students. If you are a parent or have a 40+ hour job, this program will leave you sleepless. The schedule is not flexible. You are required to attend 3 to 6 meetings a week and do collaborative work where you have to meet with other students. They are disorganized. This is NOT a full-stack Java course. The teachers and staff are great but after everything is said and done things get sketchy. They don't have the connections they claim to have, you have to find your own job and you won't have a certificate to do so. You will have a very poorly worded and unprofessional letter that is sub 70 words with no proper accolades. 

FLAWS OF THE CURRICULUM
The school doesn't focus on the technical work as much. It crams resume learning, linkedin networking, and other unnecessary things at you while you try to soak the knowledge and learn the technical work. ANYTHING OTHER THAN TECHNICAL WORK SHOULD BE EITHER OPTIONAL OR AT THE END OF THE TECHNICAL WORK. Because not everyone needs to build their resumes or network. Some I have interacted with on the course, said they don't need this resume and networking stuff because they already have good resumes and networks with people. Learning about resume and networking SHOULD be optional. Most of us are here to learn a new skill, so most of us want to focus on the technical work without having resumes, and networking looming behind us. The point is, we all feel our time is being wasted when we don't need these things. Oh not only that but they demand weekly squad meetings, 2 1 on 1 coach meetings, and bi weekly small group meetings. Again, a lot of us don't need all of these. Its just a time suck. These meetings are only there for discussing resumes, and networking. Which most do not need.

ADVICE FOR APPLICANTS
Now that this school has revealed it's colors, I will give advice to anyone wanting to join. If you want just the skills to get into an IT job yourself without any unnecessary things holding you down, DON'T JOIN THIS SCHOOL. JUST PURCHASE THE COURSERA COURSE ON YOUR OWN, ITS CHEAPER THAT WAY. And then from there, you can learn more about IT and go deeper into it, like if you want to study IT networking more, go and take the courses for that, like CCNA.

But if you WANT to learn how to network with people, and learn how to build resumes, AND do technical work; go ahead and try this course out, it might be for you. Oh and expect to have mandatory meetings in the future. and a lot of them. weekly squad (two hours), bi weekly small groups(1 hour), and 1 on 1 coach (30 min, twice a month).

By the way once your in, and sign the loan agreement, you're paying no matter what, so just think before you go into this course. I sure didn't. So Take my advice and decide if this is really for you.

Conclusion
The Curriculum is just very bad. I hope they take it as constructed criticism to improve their flawed course in the end for the better for everyone. Again to improve, I'd suggest you just make resume and networking learning optional. And lessen mandatory meetings.

Merit America is, without a doubt, the best coding bootcamp I have come across in my search. Most other bootcamps I have heard of charge from 2 to 5 times as much as Merit America (a cost you will likely incur upfront) and offer very little by way of developing your professional skills to help you market your new coding skills and ultimately land a job. Merit America manages to tie all these loose ends together by combining a broad coding curriculum that can teach a non-coder to be industry ready in under half a year with great professional support to teach learners how to succeed in interviews, write good resumes and stand out to employers in a sea of applications. Merit America boasts all of this while charging the learner nothing upfront, instead, upon the learner being hired into the tech industry, the learner then pays back a modest fee over time. What's more is that Merit America partners with powerful companies like JPMC and HCL to provide their learners with the opportunity to show their skills in front of industry professionals and generate job leads. Merit America hands you all the tools you need for success practically on a silver platter, all you need to do is the work.

If your truly looking for a good opportunity to learn and apply your skills then this it is. I love this program and everyone I was able to meet. Everyone is super supportive and always willing to help as long as you’re open as well. It can be hard at times but that’s why you have your peers and the team to help guide you but you have to do the work. I was able to learn so many new things and professional, I am so more open and skilled. I was able to break through my shell and go to networking events and mock interviews. I didn’t land that big developer job but I was able to get my foot in and now I work at Apple. You will go through a lot of interviews and you will receive more no’s then yes. But never give up, they always got your back. You got this other learners, keep that mind young.

Life Changing Experience

I didn’t even know I could be good at programming until I encountered Merit America. The constant coaching  ( not only with coding but in the professional sphere too) and  peer meetings made the learning process a lot easier.  My LinkedIn profile stands out so well that, I am constantly getting noticed by recruiters. I am gaining more knowledge and delving deeper into programming; something I wouldn’t have ventured into if not for Merit America. 
Do not miss this life changing opportunity ! 
Go for it! 

TLDR: MY OPINION IS TO AVOID THIS COMPANY AS A STUDENT/LEARNER

I just wanted to take some time to warn people about this company.

First off they are not FULLY a scam, but they do have predatory practices.

I have finished the coursework for their cybersecurity program and the following are my personal observations/reflections and things to consider if you are looking to get into one of their programs. THIS IS JUST MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

PROS:

• Kind, well-meaning staff
• Some people have reported getting exactly what they needed and having their life transformed.
  
  

SCHEDULE: TLDR: If you are currently working full time or have family or other obligations that take up more or less a full-time schedule, this program is not for you. Contrary to their marketing assertions, this program is hostile for career changers or anyone with a full schedule

• Merit will lean into how flexible their program is and that it appeals to people who are looking for a career change but this is simply a dishonest marketing strategy.
• Yes, a lot of the work you complete will be through independent work on your own time, but their deadlines are very brutal. It is very difficult to complete this program.
• They will ask you to dedicate time to meetings, projects and peer-to-peer assignments in addition to the heavy workload you have to complete through their online in their student portal. My opinion is that this is meant to give an air of support. The actuality is that it is a time-sink. The meetings are mandatory, redundant and do not help you level up your skills or learn new ones. My estimate is that about 80% of the information you receive in these meetings can be obtained through a Google Search/job readiness articles. The projects and peer assignments are similarly a waste of time
• Meetings have VERY little time for people to ask questions about their experience.
• The MAJORITY of learners in my cohort have dropped out. We started out with ~80 people in our squad. We now have ~35
• At the beginning of the program a learner divulged that they had to quit one of their part-time jobs in order to be able to do the program.
• They greatly underestimate the time you can expect to spend on coursework.
  
  
  
  

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS TLDR: If you need help with interview practice, creating a resume and cover letter, and job hunting, this program could really help you, but you can find the same resources elsewhere for free or for a much lower cost.

• They are very good with this section of the program. They compile resume and cover letter templates and detailed instructions on how to utilize Chat GPT ethically/honestly.
• There are optional invitations for interview practice as well as practice built into the curriculum
• Your coach will have 3 separate mandatory meetings with you to discuss questions you have and provide feedback to help on your journey
• The caveat is that this basic help will cost you over $5,000. My suggestion is to take advantage of similar free job support at your local library or department of labor. None of the things mentioned are unique to this program and all of it can be found for free or for a fraction of the cost elsewhere
• If you are new to the job market, have little to no experience (such as coming out of high school or incarceration) have never had a job, or are struggling to get out of a dead end job and you have absolutely no idea how to confront these issues, Merit America will FOR SURE be able to help with basic job readiness/transition
  
  

TECHNICAL SKILLS TLDR: If you are planning on learning a brand new skill and you have minimal real world or personal exposure to your field of interest, this program is not for you. The technical curriculum is shoddy and you can obtain certifications outside of this program for free or low-cost.

• Merit openly warns you that they themselves are not a school. Their commitment to providing you with a path to obtain skills is still predatory in that they push a dishonest marketing strategy: “we can help you obtain the skills you need to start a career in a brand new field.” This is a lie. There is very little that they provide as far as technical training and the chances that you will be able to enter a new field with a base foundation of skills that you will be able to build upon in your new career are very low. The program offers exposure to concepts (videos, articles, glitchy/unhelpful sites, google searches), but does not actually offer training.
• They provide assistance with technical assignment completion in the form of a designated advisor that is available most days to help. Unfortunately, you will have to carve out time from an already hectic and stressful schedule to meet with them. You will most likely need help with every technical assignment if you are completely new to the material. This “help” is not training, it is just assistance in completing assignments.
• The assignments they require you complete OUTSIDE OF Coursera are NOT beginner friendly and because of time constraints, you will most likely wind up hastily completing your assignments to meet the deadlines and then needing to double back to do your own research to fully understand the concepts.You will also need to find a resource on your own to continue to practice.
• You can obtain a Google Certification and engage with low-cost, online practice modules in the field you would like to enter for a fraction of the cost of the program and a fraction of the stress.
• So far, I have researched 54 jobs and not a single one prioritizes the Google Cybersecurity certificate. Even jobs AT GOOGLE do not mention the certificate in their job postings or any
  
  

COST: TLDR: There is no way to discern how low-grade the program is until after you have incurred 100% financial liability. The chances of dropping out are very high. They are able to collect a lot of money from unsuccessful learners.

• You are given until the 5th week of the program in order to withdraw without having any financial liability. After the 5th week, you will begin to incur liability until you are 100% responsible for paying for the program. THERE IS NO WAY to get an idea of their actual program by the 5th week as you are still being introduced to the program at this point. Once again, this is predatory. They ask you to wait and see how you feel about the program because things are just getting started, but by the time you are able to figure out that what they are providing is essentially an expensive copy and paste curriculum,  the window for avoiding financial liability has passed.
• Regarding the people I am aware of who have requested a full or partial refund past the withdrawal deadlines: their requests have been rejected due to this policy.
• To reiterate: The program is upwards of $5000
• Like I mentioned earlier, more than half of my group dropped out.
• You will NOT have to pay the program cost IF you complete the program AND are unable to get a job. Take note of the details of my first section: They make completing the course as difficult as they possibly can.
• If you drop out AFTER you have incurred 100% liability you are required to pay it back if you get a job making over 40k (This is ANY job in ANY U.S. location, mind you, not specifically a job in the field you are trying to enter. If you drop out and get a job making 40k as a truck driver, you will enter into a repayment period for your loan). You are stuck with this agreement for 5 YEARS.
• If you DO complete the program, you are only stuck with this liability for 2 YEARS. And again if you get ANY job within that 2 year period, you will have to repay your loan. Another predatory practice. They are not open with this 5 year vs 2 year distinction and they are not requiring pay back solely if you enter the field you are trying to transition into; they are requiring it for ANY field and do not adjust requirements for the area you are in. In my area 40k is just below the poverty line.
  
  

OTHER:

• They mention that they are partnered with companies for the benefit of the learners. So far, all I have seen is that  they are partnered with job boards (such as Career Circle or Indeed), but you do not receive any additional benefit from their partnerships. Merit America will benefit from YOU succeeding and having their name on your job board profile but you do not get any priority, exclusives, visibility boosts, placement or any other benefit. You can sign up for these job boards for free outside of the program
• They are not accredited with the Better Business Bureau
• Most (not all) of job postings Merit highlights for my squad so far are within IT, not cybersecurity. Most of the jobs it appears I am qualified for after completing my coursework is within IT, not cybersecurity.
• Every one of my complaints has been echoed to me by other learners in the program.

I completed the Merit America program at the end of 2022 and it's done absolutely nothing for me.
I started a new job doing analytics a month before I began Merit America. During the interview I told my manager that I was passionate about data and was actively trying to skill up - that got me in the door.
After I was already in the role I thought Merit would help me get the skills that I needed to be successful, but it was essentially a job skills course so our instructors would focus on resumes and cover letters, but they had absolutely no familiarity with data or analytics so learners would have questions and they would just shrug!!!

Not only that, but most courses have one instructor the entire time. We had three. Three people that Merit America hired to lead a data analytics course with no familiarity with data and analytics. Does that make sense to anyone else?
It's essentially a very expensive tech bootcamp that sits you in front of the computer and has you do self-learning Google modules and then you meet with an instructor to get the most basic job skills known to man. Like so basic you could go to your local county's job office and get matched with someone who help you with your resume, LinkedIn, interview skills, etc. for free. 

My cohort had 30 students and a quick glance on LinkedIn shows 95% of them are in the same place that they were when they started. The few who managed to break into the industry had additional skills and bootcamps on their resume (like their Masters!!)    

As if the above weren't enough I've applied for several Merit America instructor roles now that I've upskilled via the Fortune 50 company I happened to be employed at (I also had the right background and skills they were looking for otherwise) so other learners don't have to waste their time like I did. My resume was auto-rejected each and every time!!! Like having Merit America on your resume isn't even good enough to get a person from Merit America to look at it, so your chances of getting a foot at the door anywhere else go down significantly. 

The only thing good about Merit from my experience were fellow learners. I've never met such a bright bunch of people who really, really cared about better themselves to better their lives. Quite a few of us still check on each other and I spend a good amount of my free time trying to help them find jobs in the industry because all we get from Merit post program are surveys, jobs for other programs like Java, and referral bonuses so we can convince other unfortunate souls to join the program to bring our balances down.
 
Don't waste your time! If you do anything after this review please check out your state's resources to find similar programs with state sponsorship for being legit AND tuition assistance because Merit America is the furthest thing from it.